Trash receiver



Nov- 6, 1 62 A. c. ELSWOOD TRASH RECEIVER Filed Oct. 21. 1960 INVENTOR.ARTHUR C. ELSWOOD ATTORNEYS tts atet Dilice 3,962,363 TRASH RECEIVERArthur C. Elswood, 5221 Hemlock St., Sacramento, Calif. Filed Oct. 21,1960, Ser. No. 64,128 3 Claims. ((31. 206-195) This invention relates totrash receivers for automobiles.

Although the trash receiver of this invention is useful for receivingtrash of any type it is particularly useful in disposing of cigaretteand cigar butts. When a cigarette or cigar is discarded in conventionalash trays now in use, the discarded butt often is improperlyextinguished, and continues to smoulder for a considerable time. Theirritating fumes often cause automobile occupants to discard smoulderingbutts from a moving car, creating a fire hazard.

This invention overcomes the disadvantages of the conventionalautomobile trash receivers by providing a trash receiver which isvacuum-operated to draw the trash from the interior of the automobileinto a receptacle which contains a pool of non-inflammable liquid. Thus,the butts are quickly and positively extinguished and prevented frombecoming an irritant or potential fire hazard.

In the preferred form of the invention, the receptacle is connected tothe vacuum intake manifold of the automobile engine, and a trash inletconduit opens at one end into the receptacle and at its other end intothe vehicle interior. Preferably, valve means are provided for openingand closing the trash inlet conduit at the end connected to thereceptacle.

These and other aspects of the invention will be more fully understoodfrom the following detailed description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing of one form of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary schematic drawing of the presently preferredvalve means for opening and closing the trash inlet;

FIG. 2A is a schematic drawing of the vacuum control valve; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary schematic drawing of an alternate system foropening and closing the valve in the trash inlet.

Referring to FIG. 1, one end of the elongated and flexible corrugatedconduit is fastened by a hose clamp 12 to one end of a trash receivertube 14 which extends through an opening 15 in the instrument panel 16of an automobile (not shown). The portion of the tube 14 inside theautomobile extends upwardly, and its upper end is adapted to be openedand closed by a flap 18 secured by a pivot pin 19 to one edge of thetube.

The other end of the trash inlet conduit 10 is connected by a hose clamp2% to one end of a discharge tube 22 which extends horizontally throughthe side of a cap 24. The inner end of the tube 22 is cut on a bias sothat it opens downwardly in the cap, which is attached at its lower edgeby latches 26 to a cylindrical reservoir 28 closed at its bottom. Theadjacent ends of the cap and reservoir are sealed by an 'O-Iing 29 asshown in FIG. 1 to form a receptacle for trash.

A pool of non-inflammable liquid 30 is disposed in the reservoir, andmay be of any suitable material, preferably one with a relatively lowvapor pressure. I have found that a solution made of 1 gallon of water,4 pounds of calcium chloride, and 1 ounce of oil of pine results in aliquid which has a suitable low vapor pressure, does not readily freeze,and provides a pleasant scent.

The top of the cylindrical cap 24 is dome shaped, and includes a fitting32 to which is connected a vacuum hose 34, which in turn is adapted tobe connected to the intake manifold (not shown) of the automobileengine.

A fine mesh filter screen 36 is sealed across the upper portion of thecap 24 to prevent trash particles from entering the vacuum line 34.

A deflector or baflie 38 is sealed along its upper edge across the capjust under the screen 36, and extends a short distance down into theliquid in the reservoir 28. The edges of the deflector are shaped tomake close fit against the sides of the cap and reservoir so that thebaflle divides the upper part of the receptacle into two compartments,40, 42 which communicate with each other under the baflle in the liquid.Thus, air entering the receptacle from the tube 22 is directed by thedeflector 38 down against the surface of the pool, and must bubblethrough a small portion of the pool before passing under the baflle andleaving the receptacle through the filter screen 36 and vacuum line 34.

In using the apparatus shown in FIG. 1, the selfclosing flap valve 18 islifted when it is desired to dis pose of trash such as cigar andcigarette butts, wrappers, etc. The trash is dropped into the trashreceiver and sucked through the conduit 10 and tube 22 into thereceptacle where it is directed by the deflector into the liquid pool.Butts are immediately extinguished, and the wetted trash settles to thebottom of the reservoir. The air bubbles under the deflector 38 andleaves through the screen 36 and vacuum line 34.

When the reservoir 28 becomes full of trash, the reservoir is removed byopening the latches 26 and slipping the reservoir down from the cap. Theliquid and trash are emptied from the reservoir and replaced by freshliquid. The reservoir is then replaced in the position shown in FIG. 1,and the receptacle is ready for further use.

FIG. 2 shows an alternate embodiment of the invention in which the innerend of the tube 22 is opened and closed by a flap valve 44 secured by ahinge 46 at its upper edge to the upper edge of the tube. A verticalpull rod 48 is secured by pivot pin 49 at its lower end to the center ofthe flap 44. The upper end of the pull rod 48 is secured by a pivot pin50 to the lower end of a bell crank 51, which is secured intermediateits ends by pivot pin 52 to the upper end of a bracket 53, which ismounted at its lower end on the upper portion of the tube 22.

A horizontal tension spring 54 is secured at one end to a bracket 55attached to the interior of the cap 24. The other end of the tensionspring 54 is secured to the upper end of the bell crank to urge thecrank to pivot in a counterclockwise direction (as viewed in FIG. 2) tourge the flapper valve 44 closed against the end of the tube 22 andagainst the pressure difference developed through the vacuum line 34.

A horizontal pull wire 56 is secured at one end to the upper end of thebell crank, extends through a sealed bushing 57 mounted through the capwall, and into a housing 58, across which is secured a flexiblediaphragm 59. The pull wire 56 is secured to the central portion of theflexible diaphragm, and the housing includes an opening 60 which ventsto the atmosphere on the side of the flexible diaphragm to which thepull wire is attached.

The interior of the housing 58 on the other side of the diaphragm isconnected by -a vacuum control line 61 to a vacuum control valve 62,which includes a body 63 having a relatively large longitudinal bore 64connected at one end to a tapered annular seat 65 which opens intoPatented Nov. 6,1962

a lateral bore 66. A tapered valve plug 67 is adapted to make a sealagainst the tapered seat 65, and includes a control rod 68 which extendsthrough an opening 70 in the body 63 co-linear with the bore 64. A pushbutton 71 is attached to the end of the push rod 68 exterior of the body63, and a compression spring 72 is coaxially disposed around the pushrod 68 between the knob 71 and the body exterior to urge the valve plug67 against the seat 65. A vent opening 73 extends through the body intothe bore 64, and is adapted to be closed by a projection 74 on the valveplug 67 when the push button 71 is pressed in to connect bore 64 withlateral bore 66, which is connected by a vacuum control hose 75 to avacuum source such as the engine intake manifold. Thus, when the button71 is pressed in, vent 73 is closed, vacuum is supplied to the diaphragmhousing 58 to pull the diaphragm and wire 56 to the right (as viewed inFIG. 2), causing flapper valve 44 to open, and trash to be sucked intothe receptacle.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, a deflector 76 is secured at itslower end to the lower portion of the cap 24 and extends upwardly towardthe tube 22. In this case, air entering the receptacle is not forced tobubble through the pool of liquid in the reservoir 28.

When the button 71 is released, the compression spring forces the rod 68back to the position shown in FIG. 2A, and vent 73 opens so that thepressure on opposite sides of the diaphragm 59 is equalized, permittingthe tension spring 54 to close the end of tube 22 with the flapper valve44.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 3 is similar to that of FIG. 2, except thatthe flapper valve 44 is operated manually by a pull wire 78, slidablysealed in a bushing 80 through the cap wall, and connected at one end toa control knob 81 and at its other end to the upper end of bell crank51. A compression spring 82 is coaxially disposed around the wire 78 tobear against the upper end of the bell crank and against a sleeve 84through which the wire extends and which is secured by a support bracket85 to the top of the tube 22. The spring 82 urges the bell crank topivot in a counterclockwise direction (as viewed in FIG. 3) to hold theflapper valve closed against the inner end of tube 22.

In the operation of the apparatus of FIG. 3, the valve 44 is opened bypulling knob 81 to overcome the force of spring 82. The valve is closedby simply releasing knob 81 so the spring is free to return the valve 44to the closed position shown in FIG. 3.

In the two embodiments shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 the self closing flapvalve 18 of FIG. 1 is eliminated, so that the receiver 14 is always openfor the deposit of trash, and is cleared by simply operating the flappervalve 44. The arrangements shown in FIG. 2 facilitate the use of thetrash receptacle by the driver of the automobile because the receiver 14is always open. The arrangements shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 have the furtheradvantage of reducing the chance of vacuum leaks in the system becausethe large diameter conduit is not maintained under vacuum forsubstantial periods of time as is the case with the embodiment of FIG.1.

I claim:

1. A trash receiver for an automobile powered by an engine with anintake manifold in which subatmospheric pressure prevails, the trashreceiver comprising a closed receptacle, a pool of non-inflammableliquid in the receptacle, an imperforate baflle mounted in thereceptacle to divide the upper part of the receptacle into twocompartments which open into each other under the baflle and under theliquid pool, a trash inlet conduit opening into the receptacle on oneside of the baffle, valve means for opening and closing the trash inletconduit, and a vacuum line opening into the receptacle on the other sideof the bafile and adapted to be connected to the intake manifold of theengine for maintaining a subatmospheric pressure within the receptaclewhen the engine is in operation.

2. A trash receiver for an automobile having an instrument panel andpowered by an engine with an intake manifold in which subatmosphericpressure prevails, the trash receiver comprising a closed receptacledisposed on one side of the instrument panel, a pool of non-inflammableliquid in the receptacle, an elongated trash inlet conduit opening atone end into the receptacle and at the other end on the other side ofthe panel, valve means within the interior of the receptable at the saidone end of the conduit for opening and closing the trash inlet conduitwhere it opens into the receptacle, means disposed on the said otherside of the panel for opening and closing the valve remotely, and avacuum line opening into the receptacle and adapted to be connected tothe intake manifold of the engine in constant communication therewithfor maintaining a subatmospheric pressure within the receptacle when theengine is in operation.

3. A trash receiver for an automobile having an instrument panel andengine with an intake manifold in which subatmospheric pressureprevails, the trash receiver comprising a closed receptacle disposed onone side of the instrument panel, a pool of non-inflammable liquid inthe receptacle, an elongated trash inlet conduit opening at one end intothe receptacle and at the other end on the other side of the panel,valve means within the interior of the receptacle at the said one end ofthe conduit for opening and closing the trash inlet conduit where itopens into the receptacle, vacuum-operated means disposed on the saidother side of the panel for opening and closing the valve remotely, anda vacuum line opening into the receptacle and adapted to be connected tothe intake manifold of the engine in constant communication therewithfor maintaining a subatmospheric pressure within the receptacle when theengine is in operation.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS FrostJune 23, 1959

